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What is the difference between Type 1 and 2 diabetes?

Immune-mediated diabetes (formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes) is a disease that affects the way your body uses food. Immune-mediated diabetes is also called type 1 diabetes.

In type 1 diabetes, your body destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, usually leading to a total failure to produce insulin. It typically starts in children or young adults who are slim, but can start at any age.

Without insulin, your body cannot control blood levels of sugar. And without insulin, you would die. So people with type 1 diabetes give themselves at least one shot of insulin every day.

An estimated 500,000 to 1 million Americans have this type of diabetes today.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that affects the way your body uses food.

Type 2 diabetes used to be called non-insulin-dependent diabetes. The most common type of diabetes, it affects about 15 million Americans. Nine out of ten cases of diabetes are type 2.

It usually occurs in people over 45 and overweight, among other factors.

When you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not make enough insulin. Or, your body still makes insulin but can’t properly use it. Without enough insulin, your body cannot move blood sugar into the cells. Sugar builds up in the bloodstream. High blood levels of sugar can cause problems.

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